Salon adds more beauty to Ybor

The owner thinks she'll get business from many of the people living in the new residential developments nearby.

By MICHAEL CANNING
Published December 9, 2005

It's elemental, like water. A revitalizing urban village like Ybor City should have a place to get all dolled up, shouldn't it? Or all guy-ed up, for that matter?

Corinne Golden thinks so. She opened H2O Salon and Spa at Fifth Avenue and 20th Street in mid November. It's the first business of its kind to open in the Latin quarter's entertainment district, which has seen a recent boom of residential development.

"I saw a need," Golden said, "and I saw there was a lot of residential development in the area."

In decorating H2O, Golden took pains to make sure "a man doesn't feel silly walking in here. It's male friendly." That means an eclectic mix of green and cherry wood trim, open industrial style ceilings, Victorian style mirror frames, along with the essential parabolic lighting, which makes hair coloring and makeup appear as they really are.

Golden will hold monthly theme parties to help promote the salon. The "Red Wine Facial Party" will be Saturday featuring blueberry and cherry collagen peels along with wine, cheese, crackers and raffles for free facials.

Future themes she's considering are a big hair '80s party and a "Saturday night party" to give clients the right look for hitting Ybor's nightclubs.

Hours are 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday and Wednesday, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. Thursday through Saturday and Monday by appointment.

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SEMINOLE HEIGHTS' NEW DIMENSION: A year and a half after opening, Steven and Linda Frantz needed more room for their special needs school. So they moved 4th Dimension Academy from Busch Boulevard to 6820 N Florida Ave. in Old Seminole Heights in early September.

The building was the former site of A World of Maps, which went out of business in 2003.

The private, state-funded school serves sixth- through 12th-graders with learning disabilities, emotional handicaps, or speech or orthopedic impairments.

The Frantzes extensively renovated the 3,000-square-foot building before opening the school, which has 28 students. A curriculum includes language arts, consumer math, history, physical science, music and tai chi.

The school has space for 30 students. Four seats will open in January, Frantz said. For information, call 231-2300.

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RESTAURANT? TRY AGAIN: For SoHo watchers, it was not a matter of wondering what type of business would occupy the former Porky's Laundromat at Howard Avenue and Platt Street. It was more like guessing what kind of restaurant would move in there.

It is after all a prime spot on Tampa's Restaurant Row.

You don't have to tell Able Mortgage Funding LLC. Their walk to lunch will get a lot shorter when they open their second office in the low slung building.

Able marketing agent Sarah Van Treese said the new location will tentatively open by the end of this month. The company plans to add eight brokers, spurring the expansion, she said.

Could this hand painted taffeta pillow, pretty and plump and tasseled, be just the gift you're looking for this holiday season? You'll find it for $75 among the eclectic home and garden antiques at Pink Pineapple, 4220 W Bay to Bay Blvd. Call 837-1055.